Recent data from the Central Statistics Office reveals a dramatic 39% drop in planning permissions for apartments in Ireland in 2024 compared to the previous year. Approvals for houses also declined by 2.7%, contributing to an overall annual reduction in new home approvals by 21.4%. Notably, Dublin experienced a staggering 55.7% fall in apartment permissions. Experts like David Howard from Property Industry Ireland express concern over these figures, emphasizing the need for immediate actions to address housing shortages and improve investment conditions.